Dixon Runs Second for Honda in Rain-Shortened Pocono Event
• Scott Dixon continues championship defense with runner-up finish
• Santino Ferrucci impresses with fourth-place finish
• Opening-lap crash damages Alexander Rossi’s championship effort

LONG POND, Pa. (August 18, 2019) – Avoiding an opening-lap crash that eliminated or delayed five Honda drivers – including championship contender Alexander Rossi – Scott Dixon contended for the race victory throughout today’s ABC Supply Co., Inc. 500 and ultimately finished second in the weather-shortened run at Pocono Raceway.

Today’s second-place result, combined with a win three weeks ago at the Honda Indy 200, moves Dixon within 42 points of championship leader Josef Newgarden, after trailing by 98 points following the Iowa Speedway round in July. Three rounds remain in the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series championship, including the double-points paying finale next month at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

For the second year in a row, the race was marred by a multi-car collision that eliminated or damaged five Honda entries on the opening lap, including championship contender Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato, Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe and rookie points leader Felix Rosenqvist.

Rossi, Hunter-Reay and Hinchcliffe returned to the race after repairs to their cars to gain additional championship points. Rosenqvist, who exited his car under his own power, was transported to a local hospital, then released after further examination.

For Rossi, the long delay to repair his car resulted in an 18th-place finish, which was shortened to 128 laps of the scheduled 200-lap distance when lightning and later heavy rain moved across the raceway. Trailing Newgarden by 16 points at the start of the weekend, Rossi remains second in the drivers’ championship, but now falls 35 points behind.

After a 45-minute delay to repair the track, the race resumed with Dixon battling Simon Pagenaud for the lead, while Graham Rahal, Santino Ferrucci and Sebastien Bourdais ran third through fifth. With rain threatening to arrive before the scheduled finish, the order changed frequently through the middle third of the contest, as various pit and fuel strategies played out on the 2.5-mile Pocono tri-oval.

Dixon assumed the lead for the first time on Lap 78, and continued at the front through the next round of pit stops. Following that stop, however, his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda developed increasing understeer [reluctance to turn into a corner] and Dixon was unable to hold off Will Power, who went on to win his first race of 2019.

Further back, rookie Ferrucci showed the form of a veteran to finish fourth, trailing Pagenaud but ahead of Newgarden, Ed Carpenter and his Dale Coyne Racing teammate Sebastien Bourdais.